‘Cyclors’ on the comeback trail for AC37?

to teach the less-than-tech-savvy participants how to play the game, so they could take part in the Havana Club Rum Race and the Doyle Sails eSailing competitions, plus the RNZYS eSailing Open Regatta and Club Championship.

Laurie: “We used Virtual Regatta, the online web browser sailing race simulator. Although gaming isn’t for everyone, we have a hard-core group who eSail regularly. We did, however, encourage those who are usually mid-fleet to step up to the top, with an evening of ‘Tips from the Top’ from top eSailor Aiden Gordon.

“We are planning to make eSailing a permanent fixture, alongside our regular normal racing on the Sailing Office calendar and are thinking about running an annual club championship and open regatta, probably during the winter season.”

The best-dressed annual event at the Squadron is always the Melbourne Cup, but this year it was a fashionable online affair. Members were offered a GH Mumm Picnic Box to enjoy while they watched the race at home, a virtual sweepstake kept members trackside, while partners Pernod Ricard provided prizes for the fashion-in-the-livingroom competitions, with brand ambassador Rémy Jaboulet as judge.

“Taking the Melbourne Cup online for member participation was something we hadn’t expected to do, however, we are well versed in quickly taking various events online now,“ said Membership Director Kim Bond. “A reason to dress up for this annual race, enjoy canapes and champagne in our own homes was quite different to the party atmosphere we usually enjoy at the club. But it was great to see so many members embrace this with us.”

Rémy Jaboulet, who judged the four competition categories – best dressed female, best dressed gentleman, best dressed couple and best fascinator – said he had not seen such a high level of fashion since Paris Fashion Week.

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1/ Best fascinator: Jodie Kirkwood 2/ Best dressed female: Aliza Glanville 3/ Best dressed male: Mike Foster 4/ Best dressed couple: Andrew Bowring and son Archer (9). 5/ Dressed for the occasion and enjoying the finest fizz, Membership Director Kim Bond. 6/ Strong Cup fashionista couple contenders, Commercial Manager Sarah Dance with son Harley Baird (18 months).

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For the Bermuda America’s Cup in 2017, Olympic bronze medal track cyclist Simon Van Velthooven (left) was at the head of a ‘peleton’ of cyclors providing power aboard the ETNZ AC50 catamaran.

‘Cyclors’ on the comeback trail for America’s Cup 37?

By Ivor Wilkins About mid-2021, when rumours began to circulate that cyclorpower might be readmitted in the Protocol for the 37th America’s Cup, Simon van Velthooven took to his bike for his daily commute to work.

“It is an hour’s ride each way,” he says, “and I make sure it is the hardest hour I can possibly make it every time. It is now just part of my normal routine. Rain, hail or shine, I do it every day.”

Van Velthooven is a former Olympic bronze medal track cyclist who was recruited to Emirates Team New Zealand when they were first exploring the cycling idea for the power-hungry AC50 catamarans being developed for the 2017 Cup cycle in Bermuda. Initially, his role was as a consultant, but he became hooked on the America’s Cup as a new challenge and ended up on board the winning campaign, frantically pedalling at the head of a peleton of cyclors pumping oil around the multi-functional hydraulic system.

“Bermuda was a bit of a whirlwind,” he recalls. “It all happened very quickly and the cycle arrangement was pretty raw and not really fully developed. I can’t imagine how much further we could have taken it if we had a good couple of years refining it all, but it obviously worked for the Cup.”

With the introduction of the AC75 class for the 2021 Defence in

Auckland, the Protocol outlawed cyclors. That might have been a cue for Van Velthooven to exit stage right. Instead, he took up the challenge to reshape his body for conventional arm-powered grinding duties.

“I bought an arm grinding machine and went to the gym a lot. Luckily, there is no real skillset for producing power either way – you just have to turn handles.”

To an elite athlete those qualities can be found by setting goals and pursuing them with sheer grit and repetitive training. “It is just a question of time. The more effort you put in and the more you train, the better your results will be when you step up for a trial. Luckily, I had a good trial and beat a few people I did not expect to beat.”

The team took him on and Van Velthooven was head down in the pit, furiously spinning the handles to muscle the AC75 round the track, adding a successful Cup defence to a successful challenge for a rare two from two result on his rookie sailing CV.

“It was nice being part of a full campaign from woe to go. I enjoyed the change to arm grinding and found it really rewarding. I also had a few other jobs on the boat, but mainly it was just about producing max output.”

Now, with cyclors back in the mix, Van Velthooven is revelling being back on his bike, reshaping his body once again to prepare for the Cup defence.